I picked this recipe up from a few college friends 2 years ago and have been making it ever since for small hangout get-togethers. Even though I love this recipe, I have discovered some of the things that make it not go so well. 1) Don't add too much beer, it will ruin the texture and make the flavor really bitter. 2) What type of beer you use makes the dip a hit or success. Amber Ale and regular light beers have always worked well, but I would avoid wheat beers and stouts. 3) Light cream cheese has a negative effect on the overall flavor and texture as well, but one package light and one package regular seems just about right.

Reviewer:

Big hit wherever I go with this! I add 1 pint of sour cream and we like cheese (hey, we live in Wisconsin) so I usually put in an additional 2 cups of shredded Pepper Jack cheese and adjust the beer accordingly. DELICIOUS!!!!!!! People can't stop eating it!

Reviewer:

Everyone raved about this all day! So creamy and delicious, and really does go best with pretzels. I tasted it to see with Tostitos, and it just wasn't the same, so continued with pretzels. Every one wants the recipe now, and my husband keeps asking for more! We've had it twice and will be having many more times to come! As of 10/26/06 I have made this numerous times now. My husband even wants it at home quite often and complains when we run out! I didn't take it to a tailgate that we decided to do breakfast for though. I was told that from now on if I don't bring it I would be banned from my own tailgate! Because everyone likes it so much, I now have to times everything by 5 as our tailgate neighbors come over for some too! I've also used various beers to find the perfect one. The best one I've used is Miller Lite. As good as it is already, it was a little better with this. I think I've given this recipe to more people than I have with any other ever! Thank you so very much for the perfect football tailgate dip!

Reviewer:

This recipe is a keeper! I noticed some people had trouble with lumpy cheese. All you have to do is grate the cheese fine and mix together with the creamcheese in the food processor - let it run until it's smooth. The beer gives it a great flavor, and we love pretzels. The husband said, "don't lose that recipe!"

Reviewer:

This was gone very fast. I've made it twice now and it turned out far, far better when I beat the cream cheese for a few minutes before adding anything, and then let it sit in the fridge overnight. It is good on pretzels or pretty much anything.

Reviewer:

I have made a dip similar to this for several get-togethers as well and it's always a hit. A few things I add are, diced cooked bacon and diced green onions. Remember to garnish the final product with some extra cheese, a few pieces of bacon and some of the green onion to make it look extra yummy.

Reviewer:

This is my absolute favorite party dip! We like it served with medium sized honey-wheat pretzel sticks (twists). I don't measure out the beer, I just pour in until the consistency is to my liking. It is better the next day so refridgerate overnight. It also thickens up quite a bit, so take that into consideration when adding the beer. I use any beer I have on hand, and it varies from cheap brand to well know brands. It is known that any get-together we have I bring this!! Very good, Thank You!!! *Forgot to mention that I add some green onions to the mix also.*

Reviewer:

Made this for a Christmas party and served it with those new Fritos scoops... my family liked it, but I had plenty left over. I added cilantro and dried, minced onion to give it a little more zip. I'll probably try this one again, maybe adding some green onions next time.
----------Note added later (3/30/02): I discovered that keeping this dip in the fridge a few days really improves the flavor- we really enjoyed the left overs, even better than the first time I served it! The second time I made this recipe, I added green onions, chilled the mixture overnight, and turned it into a cheeseball by rolling it in chipped beef-- delicious!!

Reviewer:

On star: I didn't like the lumpiness of the shredded cheddar cheese (maybe the fine shredded would have been better); taste was very ok. I took this to a party, and word got around that it "isn't that good." I threw it all out, and won't make again. Even my husband, who eats anything not nailed down, didn't like it, and that says a lot. I made it exactly like the recipe, with no changes. I did like the kick from the beer, but there are much better dips out there.